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King Family Wants a Cut of MLK-Obama Merchandise

ESSENCE.COMDec, 16, 2009

Even before President-elect Obama won the presidency, there was an emergence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama paraphernalia selling on the streets. Posters, T-shirts and other merchandise have surfaced all across the country but now the King family wants their cut, reports the Associated Press. Isaac Newton Farris, Jr., one of King’s nephews, is also head of the nonprofit King Center in Atlanta. Farris, Jr. told the AP the estate is entitled to hundreds of thousands of dollars in licensing fees. “Some of this is probably putting food on people’s plates,” said Farris, Jr. “We’re not trying to stop anybody from legitimately supporting themselves…but we cannot allow our brand to be abused.”